Stock exchange: Increased activity across various equities

During today's trading session, activity was spread across nine equities. Volumes increased with a total value of €251,579 exchanged this morning on increased volumes in the banking sector as well as in equities of MaltaPost plc and Crimsonwing plc. However, following last week's 2.4% decline, the MSE Share Index dropped a further 0.8% to 3,369.212 points mainly on the back of a further setback in the share price of International Hotel Investments plc.

The share price of IHI dropped 4.8% today to the €0.80 level on low volumes amounting to 2,976 shares. IHI shareholders have until 29 September to opt to sell back all or part of their 1 for 25 bonus share issue entitlement at the nominal price of the shares of €1.00.

In the banking sector, Bank of Valletta plc traded higher at the €3.25 level for most of the day before easing to €3.211 during the final stages of the session. A total of 16,700 shares traded today. Meanwhile HSBC Bank Malta plc closed unchanged at the €2.82 level on volumes of over 20,600 shares. Higher volumes amounting to 101,500 shares in FIMBank plc were traded. This equity dropped 2.5% to USD0.97.

Malta International Airport plc also closed lower despite last Friday's August traffic results. The statistics showed a 13.4% increase in passenger movements during the month to a new record of 427,924 movements. The equity shed 1% to €1.565 on volumes of 13,000 shares. Further details of the August traffic statistics are available at http://rizzofarrugia.com/news-events/2010/august-traffic-results-mia15/.

On the bond market, the prices of longer-term Malta Government Stocks declined as the benchmark eurozone yields continued to rise from their recent record lows, reaching well above the 2.30% level.

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